


You'll be safe here

by themerrymutants



Category: Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 05:54:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13207395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themerrymutants/pseuds/themerrymutants
Summary: Iggy at last escapes the hell that Nyx of Green Luth had put her through. Despite being severely wounded she manages to stagger far enough away from the mercenary camp she'd been unwillingly drafted into. She's certain she's about to die but it seems like the universe might have other plans in mind.





	You'll be safe here

**Author's Note:**

> Formatting note: Bold and italicized text stand for dragon's speaking aloud, simply italicized text for dragons speaking privately with their bonded, bolded and underlined text for whers speaking aloud, and underlined for whers speaking privately.
> 
> Canon divergence note: In this particular divergence whers, including wild ones, are fully sentient and fully capable of speech. Unfortunately due to the severely alien nature of their minds their speech tends to be broken with sensations and images filling in the gaps because of this (and due to their less than appealing appearances) people still tend to see them as merely beasts.

Iggy was cold, wet, injured quite badly and hungry. Her life before _Her_ , what little she could remember, told her this was essentially a death sentence. Part of her didn't mind this, it was a fitting punishment for all of her crimes, but another part of her wanted to enjoy her newfound freedom. Seyrah had worked so hard to free her, to heal the wound on her front just enough for survival to be possible (in theory anyway), it'd be a waste to give up now. Such a waste. She could almost hear  _her_  voice taunting her, reminding her just how close she came to freedom and how far she'd fallen away from it as she collapsed from a combination of hunger, dehydration, and exhaustion. She was going to die out here, she was going to die out here and nobody would ever-

She felt a mind brush against hers, tender and warm, as something gently nosed her. Whers. Wild whers. Nyx had tried to use whers. Had a whole bunch she'd stolen from their mothers to give out to her most trusted. She remembered wishing she'd been one, she'd heard it was safer. Whers were hard to come by and if yours stayed that made you a valuable asset. Almost untouchable. She could have lived. She wanted to live. These whers were going to tear her apart weren't they? There wouldn't even be a body left for anyone who might give a damn to recover. She struggled to reach for the knife she always carried with her, it was large, serrated, and good for slicing and dicing. 

**"Not. Today,"**  she hissed managing to get onto all fours. She refused to die lying down. She wanted to die on her feet or at least try to.

**Iggyk,**  the voice was warm, welcoming even. She'd heard a voice like this before. A long, long, long time ago, before _She_ got to her.  **Get up, if you need Luk will help you.**

There was a rumble that sounded like a cross between a purr and a roll of thunder. Suddenly she was face to face with a green. Was it going to eat her? Head first made some sense to her, rid yourself of the head and you have no fight in your prey. She didn't want to die though. She tried to get to her feet, honest she did, but on her own she couldn't. She needed help.

**Luk not want kill. Use head pull self up,**  the green said with the mental equivalent of an eye roll as they dipped their head down for Iggy to reach. The girl didn't trust these whers as far as she could throw them but she needed to live. And if she was to live she  **needed** to  _get up_. She nearly fell on her face twice as she reached for the green only to miss. Third time was the charm though. She finally was able to latch on and pull herself up. The surprisingly large green squatted motioning, as best they could without accidentally throwing Iggy off, for her to get on their back.  **Luk carry rest of way to pack.**

Iggy nodded getting on the green's back woozily. She was tired. So tired. Could she sleep now?

**Not sleep yet Iggyk. Get back to pack first. Have human healer there. They join pack long time ago, they help make you better,**  Strak replied. Iggy didn't remember saying that out loud but maybe that was a wild wher thing: able to hear even if they weren't bonded.

Strak this one bad egg, Luk said worriedly. She hurt lots people, even kill. Mind says she followed. What if lead back to pack, and all hurt?

She scared girl Luk, she have no family, and even if have family you think they want her back? Strak countered. We take all sorts, you know better than most. I know you no like this, humans like her took you eggs. Maybe she is same, maybe not, but if leave her here she dies and she never get chance to show she good. I feel good in Iggyk. It hiding, but it there, she make strong member, maybe not perfect but strong.

Luk gave one more look back at the girl on their back before, grudgingly, following their leader back to the rest of the pack. All they could hope for was that the girl wouldn't end up killing them all in their sleep.


End file.
